Why UNK

Each year students from 50 countries make UNK their first choice in quality education. UNK offers an unforgettable education at a respected residential university in the USA at a cost that is less than larger institutions in other states, while providing the safety and hospitality of small town America.

What do our international alumni say about their experience at UNK?

"I graduated from University of Nebraska Kearney on May 6, 2016! I cannot express my appreciation with any words toward my family, friends, and professors who supported me in Kearney and from Japan. I'm looking forward to where my future takes me. At the same time, I'm sad to leave Kearney, Nebraska, my second hometown. Life in Kearney made me strong and provided me with wonderful experiences and memories. Thank you again everyone I met in Kearney. I know it's not the last time to say goodbye. We can meet again somewhere in the world. So I should say ”See you next time."” Rika Asai, Japan, Class of 2016 "I'm glad to tell you that I am soon to be an official petroleum engineer. Being a student of the UNK English Language Institute has been the best experience of my life. Thanks to all of you, people that I will never forget, I am the person that I am right now." Paula Alejandra Espinosa Franca, Colombia

"Life is certainly unpredictable. I never thought I would end up here but now I feel I am lucky enough to be one of those who got to enjoy the opportunities. UNK has been one of the most amazing experiences and a second home away from home. I made lots of friends and had an awesome time in these four years of life. Now I am heading back home for a better future. I am glad that I have memories that will never fade away. It is hard to put in to words, but I will definitely miss Kearney and all the beautiful people I met along this journey. Goodbye UNK and my friends. I hope to meet you all again." ﻿Sushma Thapa, Bhutan, Class of 2013

How did you discover UNK? My school introduced UNK to me and I came here as an exchange student.

What is the most important reason that you chose UNK?
The tuition and cost of living are cheaper than other options. Kearney provides an inexpensive but good quality of education. Also, I feel a ‘study atmosphere’. I feel like I study here as a real student, so I transferred here and enjoy American student life!

What was your first impression of Kearney and what surprised you the most?
It was a really tiny and calm town. It was my first time to aboard a propeller airplane so that shocked me at that time. Also, my prejudices about America and Kearney were totally different than I experienced. People in Kearney are kind, nice and more shy than I expected.

What do you like the best about UNK?
The environment to study is great. Professors and classmates are very helpful. At first, it was hard to adapt to this environment because there are so many assignments I need to do. After I adapted to those assignments and studies, I learned what “study” is. Also, I can choose what I want to do freely. I also can easily change my major depending on what I want to do.

How different is it to study in your country and study at UNK?
In Korea, we usually sit and just listen what the professor says. Here, students debate and participate in class a lot. Sometimes I feel like the students and professor are arguing which is not allowed in Korea. I learned how to speak up and share my opinion. Still it is hard to share my strong opinions but I am working on it.

How have you been able to share your culture at UNK?
I can share Korean culture by being a member of the International Student Association (ISA). One big event was the International Food and Cultural Festival. Not only me but also many Korean students try to share Korean culture by introducing Korean traditional games and performances.

What new things have you experienced living here?
Road trip! I got driver’s license after I came here. After I got a license, I started to do road trips which I only saw in American movies and drama before. It is cheaper than flying and I can go wherever I want with my friends. One of my dreams is driving I-80, from San Francisco to New York!

What would you recommend new international students do to enjoy life and American culture while here?
Join as many activities as possible. You can be a Chancellor’s Ambassador of UNK, a member of the International Student Association, and a tutor. If you are good at studying and are majoring in Business Administration, you can join Beta Gamma Sigma which is an authorized business group. There are many opportunities where you can interact with people, and that will make your life much better.

Victor Chen, China
Major: Business Administration Marketing Emphasis

How did you discover UNK?
One of my Chinese friends who is a junior at UNK now introduced this school to me before I came here. Thanks to him a lot!

What is the most important reason that you chose UNK?
Nebraska is the most friendly and safe state in the United States.

What was your first impression of Kearney and what surprised you the most?
Honestly, Kearney is a kind of small city and I thought I would have nothing to do. At first when I came here, I thought my college life would be ruined. However, it was totally wrong thinking! It is a small city but also one of the most amazing cities I have ever been to. People here are so friendly so that we can easily make good friends here! People will greet you and be nice to you even though you meet that person for the first time. Anyway, I like the people here, I just want to say thank you for those people who helped me a lot at first when I came here. Thank you Lopers!

What do you like the best about UNK?
Most students here like sports and UNK made a gym for sports like Football, wrestling, and volleyball. The atmosphere here is full of positive energy in our daily life which has a good effect on our studying as well.

How different is it to study in your country and study at UNK?
I came from China. The education system and ideas they teach in China are quite different from the USA. It’s hard to give a detailed explanation but I am sure that it is not only the Chinese students’ thought but also most of the Asians, like South Korean and Japanese students as well. So if you want to know what is different between China and USA, please come and ask me!

How have you been able to share your culture in UNK?
I am a person who loves to communicate with different people, and the topic of culture can always be one of the best topics to share with local people, because we are foreigners to Americans and they are interested in international students’ culture!

What new things have you experienced living here?
It was some activities that I joined such as the Chinese Festival and International Food and Cultural Festival. I can interact with many people and also teach them about China.

What would you recommend new international students do to enjoy life and American culture while here?
The first and the most important point that I would like to share with new international students is you need to try to TALK more with your American friends! I understand that this is quite difficult for international students because they feel like their language skills are too poor to talk smoothly with Americans. However, if you never try to talk with them, your language skills will grow slowly. When you feel your English skills get better, you will be proud of yourself and can enjoy your life at the same time! GOOD LUCK!!

Yui Hayashi, Japan
Major: Athletic Training

How did you discover UNK?
I went to a private school in Japan and wanted to study abroad. The private school was affiliated with UNK.

What is the most important reason that you chose UNK?
There were two main reasons. First, UNK has the Athletic Training Program which is what I wanted to learn. Also, the tuition was cheapest.

What was your first impression of Kearney and what surprised you the most?
My first impression of Kearney is large. My hometown is a big city, so there are so many tall buildings. But, there aren't high buildings in Kearney, so I can see a far away and see the sky. The most surprising thing was the stars were very beautiful, as if I was in the planetarium.

What do you like the best about UNK?
People at UNK are so kind to everybody.

How different is it to study in your country and study at UNK?
The type of content is different. In my country, the primary reason for study is to increase knowledge. At UNK, especially in my major, the class content is hands-on, and the reason for study is to experience and to get skills.

How have you been able to share your culture at UNK?
I joined the international organizations and cooked international food and introduced Japanese culture at festivals.

What new things have you experienced living here?
It is my first time to live with others and also it is my first time to live with a foreigner. And it is my first time to be separated from my family.

What would you recommend new international students do to enjoy life and American culture while here?
I recommend joining intramural sports. They can play a lot of sports in one season even though they have never played it before. It will make a lot of fun and also friends.

Uppalavanna Shakya, Nepal
Major: Computer Science

How did you discover UNK?
My cousin’s friend who was a past UNK student recommended this university to me. When I searched for it on the internet, I wanted to be one of the Lopers.

What is the most important reason that you chose UNK?
The courses aligned with my career which is Computer Science. Also, the fee structure is quite reasonable compared to other universities.

What was your first impression of Kearney and what surprised you the most?
In Nepal, even in the Terai zone, we could see some hills, but when I drove to Kearney from Colorado, there was no sign of any hills or highlands. It was quite amazing and something totally new for me.

What do you like the best about UNK?
It is home away from home for me. Ever since I came here, I did not feel that I'm away from home. Even though there are lots of differences, feeling at home is the best thing about UNK.

How different is it to study in your country and study at UNK?
Of course, the main difference is language. Then, we used to have more paperwork. Here, I need to submit all my assignments through online and also get the contents from online. I guess this helps a lot in saving paper and helps in keeping the environment clean. I could say the study system is more advanced compared to my country.

How have you been able to share your culture at UNK?
UNK has different communities and festivals. I was able to share a Nepali dance with people at the International Food and Cultural Festival. It was just 3 months after I came here. I'm sure that I will get more opportunities where I can share my culture.

What new things have you experienced living here?
It rarely snows in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, where I lived. The first day of my orientation, it snowed; it was a totally new experience to me.

What would you recommend new international students do to enjoy life and American culture while here?
It is really important to be updated on different events in Kearney which are held by students every month. This way, we can get to know more people who definitely will help us someday.

Miki Yamamoto, Japan
Major: Exercise Science

How did you discover UNK?
I found Kearney through an educational organization from my country.

What is the most important reason that you chose UNK?
One of a biggest reasons is the availability of scholarships. Tuition is cheaper than other schools and also I can get a scholarship.

What was your first impression of Kearney and what surprised you the most?
I know about American culture well because I was interested in American dramas and movies. So actually, there was nothing that surprised me.

What do you like the best about UNK?
People are nice here. They are kind to international students. They help me to be more talkative and involved with them.

How different is it to study in your country and study at UNK?
The systems of education are totally different and that makes the studying super challenging. Participating in class and discussion are challenging too.

How have you been able to share your culture at UNK?
I can share my culture by participating in the Japanese festival. Other Japanese students and I shared performances with foreigners. We tried to make interesting. Also, we made gourmet Japanese food.

What new things have you experienced living here?
Foods, language and friends from other countries! Students here came from more diverse countries than what I thought before I came here. I am so glad and feel lucky to meet them.

What would you recommend new international students do to enjoy life and American culture while here?
Have a host family and try to connect with many people from many countries. It will make your life much different.

Home Away from Home

Nolline Omollo is an international student from Kenya. She and her twin sister arrived in Kearney in August of 2012. She is a sophomore majoring in Pre-Nursing.

How did you discover UNK? I learned about UNK from my aunt who was a former student of this institution. I was also impressed by its rank academically in the Midwest.

What was your first impression when you arrived in Kearney? The first impression I had about Kearney is that it is a small populated City and an agricultural center due to the huge fields of corn I saw on the way to campus.

What surprised you the most about Kearney? What surprised me the most was the Calvin T. Ryan Library on campus. I found it then and still do to be very resourceful with very approachable staff.

What do you like the best about UNK? I love several things about UNK. The people here are very welcoming and they make you feel at home away from home. The professors are very approachable and the professor to students ratio is very commendable. The teaching and delivery of professors is superior. I like the fact that UNK gives international students an opportunity to share their unique cultures with the Kearney community through events like the International Food Festival.

How do you plan to leave your mark on UNK? The mark I would love to leave behind after my four years of study is to graduate with Honors, to be celebrated and to be missed. This is what motivates me to work really hard and push myself towards achieving this goal.

What would you recommend new international student do to enjoy life and American culture while here? I would recommend new international students joining UNK to be flexible to change, work hard, and have good grades to avoid a stressful academic life. Meet new people and join student organizations within campus.

Perfect Community

Maria Gutierrez is an international student from Colombia. She arrived in January of 2012 and is majoring in International Studies and Economics.

How did you discover UNK? I know about UNK through my high school, which has a connection with this university.

What was your first impression when you arrived in Kearney? Before coming to Kearney, I talked with somebody that was here before. He told me that it was a small town, but I didn't realize how small it really was until I arrived. Since I grew up in a city, I wanted to find a peaceful and small place, and Kearney was perfect.

What surprised you the most about Kearney? What surprised me was the diversity of cultures that attended UNK. I have met people from South Korea, Nepal, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and people from several other different parts of the world.

What do you miss the most about Colombia? What I miss the most from Colombia is my family and my friends. I miss the food from Colombia and I miss Colombian customs.

What do you like the best about UNK? One of the things that I really like from UNK is how different organizations and programs give an opportunity to all students to get involved. How students go further than just fulfilling academic requirements and get involved with social activities. When I arrived here, I loved the way people treat international students and made me feel at home here. I love how small the campus is and how easy it is to get around.

How do you plan to leave your mark on UNK? I want to teach the people here about my culture in order to enrich the multicultural environment of Kearney.

What would you recommend new international students do to enjoy life and American culture while here? As an international student, I know how hard it is to arrive in a different country with a different language and different culture. However, the mistake that most international students make is being shy and not meeting people. Sometimes we prefer to stay in our comfort zone by being friends with just people from our country. I know how hard it is to communicate in another language, but we need to learn how to do it, and the only way is by knowing people from other countries and practicing.

The following UNK international alumni have agreed to have you contact them via email if you would like to visit with them directly about their experience at UNK:

Achala Sharma, Nepal,achalasharma@live.com- "I am so much in love with UNK that if I could, I would come back to have the same experience again. I would prefer it over any top university in the nation for undergraduate studies."

Ryan Bastian, Bahamas,ryanobastian@gmail.com- "UNK is awesome! You have to experience it to truly appreciate it!"

A Sanam Bhaila, Nepal,bhaila.sanam@gmail.com- "One of the reasons I hardly missed home, despite being so far away, was because I was "at home" at UNK."